Chapter 22
22
Amir
T he room falls into silence, aside from the occasional crackle of sparks coming from the broken television. Hazel looks at the mess, then sighs with frustration. “Looks like our fun time is officially over,” she mutters, sliding off the bed.
“This doesn’t make sense.” Anora’s voice breaks the silence, her deep brown eyes darting between Hazel and me. Her brows are drawn in confusion. “She’s one of us. Why would she do this? Why turn on her own people?”
I focus on her, watching the way her mind works, piecing it together. “Because she doesn’t see us as her people,” I answer. “Aya’s always had a singular goal: execute our mother’s plan. She doesn’t need supernaturals in the equation. We’re obstacles to her endgame. She wants humans dependent and compliant, easily manipulated. Supernaturals? We fight back. We can think for ourselves.”
My hand moves automatically to the nape of Anora’s neck, rubbing gently as I speak. She doesn’t relax. Instead, she zones out, her finger pressed to her lips as her mind races. When she finally looks up at me, there’s a faint smile on her face, but it’s fake. I can see the worry swimming just beneath the surface.
“Aya is a master manipulator,” I tell her, my voice low and steady. “She’s good at whispering lies into people’s ears, finding every crack in their armor. She says the right things to sway them, and they follow her every time. Even humans fall for it. Especially humans.”
Anora tries to pull away—probably to pace or process like she does—but I tighten my grip on her hips and lift her easily into my lap. She squeals in surprise, pushing at my chest.
“Amir, not now,” she protests, her voice laced with irritation.
I glare, my tone firm. “Not now?” I repeat, letting the frustration I feel spill into my words. “Supernaturals were cursed for thousands of years, Anora. I’ve been trapped in that curse, weighed down by it, for centuries longer than most. If I want to hold you, I will. I don’t care if the world is burning to ash around us.”
She gasps at my sharpness, but then her expression softens as the meaning of my words sinks in. She stills against me, her body relaxing into mine, but our shared quiet ends when Hazel starts pacing. Magic crackles in her hands as she clenches her fists, her frustration radiating from her with every step.
“We need a plan,” Hazel snaps. “NOW.”
Before I can respond, the room shifts. Shadows grow denser, swirling into dark, thick cloud-like smoke at the center of the room. A moment later, Kade steps through, looking proud and put together as ever. Her fitted polo reads “Wintermoon Sheriff” across the chest, paired with cargo pants and boots. Her long blonde hair is intricately braided, a nod to her Viking heritage. You’d never guess she’s wielding centuries of wisdom and deadly skill under all that casual presentation.
Anora squeals again, startled by the sudden appearance, clinging tightly to my shirt. I can feel her pulse quicken, her body stiffening in my hold as she catches sight of Kade’s fangs—a reaction she can’t quite hide.
Kade smiles, bowing her head slightly toward Anora. “Queen Anora,” she greets her warmly. “A pleasure to meet you.”
The respect in her tone makes me smirk. Kade has met a different version of Anora before—one from an alternate timeline, a more powerful and self-assured version of her. But my Anora isn’t there yet. Not yet.
“Perfect timing,” I say as I nod toward her. “We were just discussing our strategy.”
Kade’s eyes flicker to the busted television mounted on the wall. She lifts a brow at me, unimpressed. “Looks like strategy’s off to a fine start,” she says, her words dripping sarcasm.
“You’d have been here sooner,” I shoot back, “if I hadn’t had you on babysitting duty.”
Her grin is sharp as she shoves her hands into her pockets. “Right. Because looking after your captive wasn’t enough of an adventure.”
Her tone softens as she turns to Hazel, though, the connection between them clear. “She’s ramping up,” Hazel says, her voice sharp with anger.
“She’s grasping at straws,” Kade replies, shrugging. “Aya’s losing, and she knows it. Supernaturals have made progress, there are laws now, protections. The resistance is holding strong.”
“Until Aya’s whispers spread further,” I snap, not holding back. “If she keeps digging her claws into humans, playing on their fears, we won’t have those laws for long. We need unity, Kade. Division is how she wins. It’s how she won last time.”
Regret brushes over me as the words escape. I glance down at Anora and stroke her cheek gently, grounding myself with her. I don’t want to be king again. I don’t want the responsibilities, the burdens. All I want is her. But I know if I’m going to keep her safe—if I’m going to keep her at all—I’ll need to make sacrifices. Kade catches my eye, smugness practically radiating off her.
“Looks like I’m getting my king back,” she says, beaming.
I groan in frustration. “Stop selling yourself short, Kade,” I say, trying to sideline the topic. “I made you ruler of Wintermoon because I knew you were more than capable. The supernaturals respect you, Mother Kade. ”
She flinches at the title, glaring. Good. I throw it at her on purpose.
Kade shakes it off and looks at Hazel. “You’re coming to Wintermoon,” she tells her, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Hazel laughs bitterly and folds her arms. “Absolutely not. They’ll try to kill me the moment I get there.”
“They’ll get over it,” Kade says dismissively. “We’ll settle with the House of Zorah. Angie and Jacob will protect you. Jacob’s an Alpha now; no one would dare cross him. And we need to figure out how to stop your mother.”
Hazel sighs but doesn’t argue, though I see the flicker of longing cross her face at the mention of Jacob .
I glance at Anora and soften my tone. “There’s someone familiar waiting for you on Wintermoon too. Olivia Hampton. She was your friend once.”
Anora’s wide-eyed gaze snaps to mine. “Olivia’s on Wintermoon?”
I nod. “She’s fated to a wolf shifter from the House of Zorah.”
Her excitement fades into silence as she processes that.
“Then it’s settled,” Kade chimes in. “Let’s teleport now.”
I narrow my eyes at Kade, biting back a smirk. She’s pushing to get us out of Detroit. I know why. But before I can engage, Anora surprises me.
“No, not now.” She shakes her head, trying to climb out of my lap. I keep my grip on her hips, holding her still.
“Mrs. Sarah,” Anora says firmly. “I want to see her before we leave. I know once I go to Wintermoon, it’s permanent.”
Kade’s expression softens for her. “Mrs. Sarah is in one of the best care homes in the state, Anora. She’s set.”
“I still want to see her,” Anora insists.
“I’ll make sure of it, Anora,” I say, my voice steady, trying to calm her concerns.
I bury my face into her hair briefly, closing my eyes as I hide my grimace. She doesn’t know Wintermoon is temporary, just a stop along the way. We’re not staying. I don’t want the responsibility of a leader. I want Anora, alone, without the burdens of rulership hanging over us.
“I also made sure to deliver your human toy to the basement,” Kade announces suddenly, and my head snaps up. Damn it.
“Mike?” Anora says softly, looking around in confusion, her voice uncertain. “Human toy?”
“Whoops,” Kade mutters unapologetically, then grins like she’s enjoying this .
“Kade…” I glare at her.
Anora’s eyes widen as realization starts settling in. “Mike! You still have Mike, don’t you?” she asks, her voice rising with emotion.
I smile back at her, all calm and collected. Then, I shrug. She looks at Hazel, expecting some kind of reaction, but Hazel doesn’t even flinch. She leans back against the wall beside Kade, her face empty of emotion.
“Hazel!” Anora says, practically yelling now.
Hazel shrugs, glancing at her with a tired expression. “I was raped by ten men, Anora. Ten. The slightest assault is a death sentence to me. It’s not up for negotiation.”
Kade raises her hand for a high five, grinning. Hazel glares at her, unmoving.
“Oh, come on. Don’t leave me hanging,” Kade teases, but Hazel rolls her eyes in response.
“What’s the big deal, anyway? Uncle Amir already took care of that asshole Dave. You remember him, right? The boss that assaulted you?”
I stiffen, my shoulders tensing at Kade’s careless comment. Anora freezes, staring at me wide-eyed.
“Dave?” Her voice shakes slightly. “You killed him?”
My body stiffens more as my eyes lock on hers. I let my face go blank. Does she see it now? The real me? The monster beneath the charming exterior? I’m not just the fantasy she might’ve dreamed about. There’s darkness in me, a madness no one would ever understand. Thousands of years without love can do that to someone.
“He assaulted you,” I say flatly. “And I could smell the countless women he assaulted after you. A quick death was a mercy, a reward for what I really wanted to do to him.”
Anora doesn’t say anything right away. She looks between me, Kade, and Hazel, her thoughts spinning so fast I can almost feel them. Her scent changes—confusion mixing with indecision. She doesn’t know whether to stay or to run.
But she won’t run. And if she does, it won’t matter. I’ll bring her back every time. I’ve already waited too long to have her. I won’t go back to watching her from a distance, suffering in silence.
“I want to see Mike. Right now,” she says firmly, her voice level but shaking slightly at the edges.
I grin, brushing a finger across her cheek softly, my touch meant to soothe. “Of course, angel.”
She scoots off the bed, and I rise after her, extending my hand for hers. She hesitates but takes it.
“I’ll warn you now, Anora,” I say slowly, my voice calm but serious. “It’s not a pretty sight. And I’m not letting any of them go.”
Her mouth falls open slightly in shock. “There’s more than just Mike down there?” she mutters, staring up at me.
“Yes,” I answer simply. “He’s joining the nine men I collected who assaulted Hazel. Hazel already handled one herself, but the others… she didn’t know about.”
Her hand twitches slightly in mine as I gently tighten my grip. “They drugged her, Anora. And now, they’ll pay for what they’ve done.”
I step closer, lowering my voice as I look into her stunned eyes. “You can say your goodbyes to Mike if you need to, but I’ll say this only once—none of them are leaving Detroit alive. That is final.”
She gasps softly, her head nodding nervously as she processes my words.
“Let’s go,” Hazel says sharply, brushing past us. “I’ve got a few choice words for those assholes myself.”
Kade follows behind her, hands stuffed casually into her pockets. I chuckle under my breath. Of course, Kade isn’t going to miss out on the bloodshed. She’ll savor it.
I glance at Anora, my fingers lightly brushing against her hand as I give her one last chance to back out. She doesn’t belong in this part of my world. I’m not sure her innocent mind can handle the truth of what’s waiting for her downstairs.
“Last chance, Anora,” I say, my tone soft but firm. “I don’t think you want to see what’s about to happen.”
She gulps nervously, her teeth catching on her bottom lip as she avoids my gaze. “I—I can handle it,” she says, her voice trembling slightly.
She’s lying. I know it immediately from the shift in her scent and the change in her voice. But I won’t force her to turn away. She needs to see this side of me, the darkness that comes along with the man she’s getting closer to.
I can sense her internal struggle—the part of her that wants to believe in the gentle lover who holds her at night clashing with this new reality. The man who kills easily, who keeps prisoners in his basement, who speaks of murder as casually as others discuss the weather. But this is who I am, who I’ve always been. The monster and the man, inseparable.
I lift her hand to my lips and press a gentle kiss to the back of it. “Anora,” I say quietly, my voice dropping lower. “If you run, I’ll find you. And I’ll bring you back to me. Every time.”
She gasps softly, her dark eyes snapping up to meet mine. I know the words send a spike of fear through her, but she has to understand. She’s mine, and nothing will change that. “I’ve waited too long for you. I won’t accept rejection. Ever.”
She’s nervous—I can see it, feel it in the way her fingers tremble slightly in mine—but she doesn’t pull away. She doesn’t argue either. Good.
This is the reality of being with me. It’s not all softness and gentle kisses. It’s blood and vengeance, and I won’t shy away from anyone or anything that threatens her.
I tighten my grip on her hand and start pulling her toward the door. Her steps are hesitant, but she follows me without resistance.
I feel the tremor in her hand, smell the mix of fear and curiosity in her scent. She’s walking willingly into darkness, following me down into the shadows of my world. Part of me wants to shield her from this, to keep her in the light where she belongs. But we’re past that now. She needs to see all of me, even the parts that might make her run. Because only then can she truly choose to stay.
The door to the apartment opens to the stairwell, and I take the lead, holding her hand as we descend. My thoughts drift to Mike, the pathetic waste of a man I stupidly spared before. I should’ve killed him the moment I learned of his obsession, the moment I realized he couldn’t stand the idea of letting Anora go.
But I didn’t. I was a fool, thinking she could let go of him on her own in time. Thinking I didn’t need to get my hands dirty.
I should’ve known better. She’s Anora, after all. A queen. A goddess. Everything about her begs for devotion, makes men lose their minds. She’s already got wars brewing over her, and I’m prepared to end anyone who thinks they have a claim to her.
Because she’s mine. Only mine.
And that’s the truth of what I am - not just a king, not just a protector, but something ancient and primal.
A beast who’s waited millennia to find his mate, who would burn the world to keep her safe. My love isn’t gentle or civilized; it’s consuming, possessive, absolute.
She needs to understand that now, before we go any further. Before she sees what I’m capable of doing to those who dare to harm what’s mine.